Club leaders urge AFL to buy Etihad Stadium

ETIHAD Stadium should be bought immediately with money from the AFL's Future Fund to solve the structural problems that are crippling the less financial clubs through onerous stadium deals, an extraordinary meeting of the leaders of wealthier clubs has resolved.

The AFL should also scrap all salary cap concessions for clubs - including the cost of living allowance - and abandon all draft concessions if they are to revisit the broad idea of equalisation.

On Wednesday, as news of the Essendon scandal engulfed the football world, a small collection of club presidents and chief executives met to discuss the AFL's decision to return to the problem of equalisation and the widening wealth gap between clubs.

Carlton president Stephen Kernahan and chief executive Greg Swann, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and chief executive Gary Pert, Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold and Richmond president Gary March were at the lunch organised by McGuire.

Essendon chief executive Ian Robson was due to attend but had more pressing matters to attend to, but he indicated the club's support for the position. Club chairman David Evans was also unable to attend.

West Coast and Fremantle officials were not present but both indicated their support.

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''We are one year into a five-year policy that was done at the time of the new broadcast rights deal and the AFL is saying it might not be enough, so you are going to have to pay more,'' Newbold said.

''I think if we are fair dinkum about this we have to look under every stone and at every alternative. As the people being asked to share some of the money they have worked bloody hard to earn we think we would like to at least look at the information in detail to understand the problem.''

The club leaders had a view that if the AFL was renewing its view of equalisation then all unequalising factors should be addressed and so all draft concessions should be removed and all salary cap relief - such as the contentious cost of living allowances - be removed.

The clubs were angered that the premiers last year, the Sydney Swans, were the club able to satisfy the demands of the most highly paid free agent in Kurt Tippett.

''The GWS have indigestion they have so many draft picks, and we think the cost of living allowance is an outdated policy, the logic of which if extended should mean Adelaide has a lower salary cap, and in Perth a higher one,'' Newbold said.

The clubs were angry the AFL had sought to return to the issue of equalisation only 12 months into a five-year plan of income redistribution which they had all voluntarily signed up to.

One club official said there was resentment that wealthier clubs were being presented as the only option for solving the disparity and that structural issues such as the poor stadium deals for clubs were not discussed.

''Why are Hawthorn - who are innovative and have worked bloody hard to get ourselves to where we are now - being penalised because the Bulldogs have to write out cheques each year to play games at Etihad Stadium?'' Newbold asked.

''We think they need to look at buying Etihad Stadium as soon as possible. We think there is a need to look at these issues structurally, not just look at taking more money off the wealthier clubs.''

March said the group was frustrated and angry that a year into the five-year plan they had agreed to without complaint they were being told the plan hadn't worked and that they should trust the AFL's new plans and agree to just give more money. ''What level of funding will be needed to keep these clubs viable?'' he asked.

''We need to look at all things. Not only buying Etihad Stadium but do we need to look at a boutique 25,000 to 30,000 seat stadium?''